CompassPoint, a non-profit management consultancy, recently released a report on non-profit development and fundraising. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported on some key findings about professional fundraisers this week.

What determines whether an organization has a culture that supports fundraising success? Experts point to a range of factors. For example, are fund development and philanthropy widely understood and valued in the organization? Are its fundraising efforts “donor-centric” and focused on building deep relationships over time, not just asking for money when it’s needed? — CompassPoint

The Chronicle article is a fairly depressing account in which non-profit executives and development directors assign each other blame for the dysfunctional status quo. In the absence of a “culture of philanthropy,” neither development officers nor non-profit executives can operate at full capacity.

It is through the practice of good stewardship that we as humans express love for the world. — William Enright and Timothy Seiler

Stewardship is the responsible management of others’ resources for the common good. It’s more than rote organizational functions and it’s certainly not about shoring up the institution with planned gifts.

Stewardship is about establishing and sustaining a trust between an institutional steward and the stakeholders who share their resources because they care about a given mission and impact on the world, and want that mission and impact executed well.

As Enright and Seiler argue, it involves accountability, prudence, and discernment. Without these three virtues, a group can easily lose sight of its core purpose, the values that drive it to act in the world, and the basis for the trust it seeks from stakeholders.